Hi, everyone.

I bought a beautiful bedroom suite from 1937 in Georgetown, DE in May. The maker's tag says "Jennings Bedroom and Office Suites" out of South Carolina. There's a line on that tag where the retailer can fill in his name. That space said some store in Washington, D.C. Anyway--it looks deco, but not quite as ornate as, say, a Waterfall set. No inlays, no intricate carvings, no geometric patterns. It's striking, but very simple: bedframe, tall chest (with 2nd drawer a "secret" desk--the face of the drawer releases and becomes a desktop, and there's a secretary where the inside of the drawer would be), smaller chest (with wood-framed mirror above it), sit-down vanity and stool (with wood-framed mirror above it). Drawers alternate between cups (put four fingers in to open drawer) and tabs (that you'd grab with your thumb and two fingers to open). Sorry for the long-winded description, but I have no photos of it yet.

I bought a Lackner Neon Glo clock, and it matches the bedroom furniture perfectly. The clock was described as being "Art Deco Mission".

*****So, now I want to know what that means. Does that mean mission style from the art-deco time (like a nickname)? Was this a legitimately documented sub-genre of design? Why can't any book I find anywhere explain or acknowledge Art Deco Mission? I also haven't been able to research any more about the Jennings company. Do any of you out there have any info (on either matter) to help me?

I'd appreciate it. --Ed Fox (efox1999@hotmail.com)

-- Edward Fox (efox1999@hotmail.com), September 26, 2001